AG022: Difference between revisions

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nexttitle=Gone Corphishin' |
nexttitle=Gone Corphishin' |
series=Advanced Generation series |
series=Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire |
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'''A Hole Lotta Trouble''' (Japanese: '''ダイゴ、ココドラ、ボスゴドラ!''' ''{{tt|Daigo|Steven}}, {{tt|Cokodora|Aron}}, {{tt|Bossgodora|Aggron}}!'') is the 22nd episode of the {{series|Advanced Generation}}, and the 296th episode of the [[Pokémon anime]]. It was first broadcast in Japan on April 24, 2003 and in the United States on February 14, 2004.  
'''A Hole Lotta Trouble''' (Japanese: '''ダイゴ、ココドラ、ボスゴドラ!''' ''{{tt|Daigo|Steven}}, {{tt|Cokodora|Aron}}, {{tt|Bossgodora|Aggron}}!'') is the 22nd episode of ''[[Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire]]'', and the 296th episode of the [[Pokémon anime]]. It was first broadcast in Japan on April 24, 2003 and in the United States on February 14, 2004.  


{{spoilers}}
{{spoilers}}
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==Plot==
==Plot==
{{ashfr|The group}} is now walking through a thick forest. They come across a large cave entrance and [[Max]] comments that they have arrived at [[Granite Cave]]. {{an|May}} wonders what they will find in there and {{an|Brock}} suggests that they go inside and check it out to see if the Elite Trainer ([[Steven Stone]]) is there. Max says that many Pokémon must live in this cave, but May reminds him that in a cave this dark, he shouldn't get his hopes up. {{Ash}} then stops the conversation by telling them all to follow along. Finally, they enter the cave.
Standing in front of a large cave, [[Max]] announces that they have finally arrived at [[Granite Cave]]. Everyone anticipates meeting {{Steven}}, and {{Ash}} hopes to gain some training insights. {{an|May}} asks Max to check the [[PokéNav]] for any creepy Pokémon living inside the cave, but Max informs her that the device doesn’t have that function. Ash suggests they get moving, and so the group all enter Granite Cave. Meanwhile, {{TRT}} are digging large holes throughout Granite Cave hoping to finally catch {{AP|Pikachu}}. [[James]] begins to complain from the exhaustive effort and suggests they try a direct battle for once, but Jessie declares that she is in charge and orders him to keep digging. {{MTR}} makes a sharp remark, but Jessie turns to him and snaps.


Inside the cave, {{TRT}} is digging a large hole in the floor. [[James]] pauses to take a break, complaining "How many thousands of ridiculous holes does this one make?" as he wipes the sweat from his forehead, to which [[Jessie]] replies by saying "Oh, quit complaining. If you want to catch {{AP|Pikachu}}, just keep digging." She also adds in that [[Twerp|twerps]] would never expect a hole in the middle of a cave, to which {{MTR}} remarks "Even though a cave is one giant hole?" James turns to his comrades and notes that "this digging holes plan always goes wrong" and asks if they can just have a direct battle for once. As [[Jessie's Wobbuffet]] pops out, Jessie herself continues to dig while saying that she is the one who gives orders, and that the others take orders. Meowth remarks on this, saying that if they're ordering, he'll take some french fries, upon which Jessie turns to him and snaps, "Just dig!"
Ash and others continue through the caverns, with Ash calling out to Steven every so often. They reach a fork in the road, where Brock puts a glow-in-the-dark red arrow marker pointing to the left tunnel on the wall. Meanwhile Steven and his {{p|Aron}} stop to take a break from their stone hunt. When Aron informs him that it hasn't found anything by shaking its head, Steven offers it some [[Pokémon food]], which it happily eats from his hand. Steven then says they'll try a new spot. Meanwhile, Team Rocket sits behind some rocks observing their now-finished hole. Jessie hears Ash calling out to Steven and anticipates the twerps’ arrival. James still thinks a direct battle is the way to go, while Meowth asks who Steven is. Jessie hisses that it doesn't matter who he is and they hide. Ash and friends soon reach the chamber, where they fall into the waiting pitfall trap. The Rockets reveal themselves and the kids look up to see them. As the villains dance happily over their catch, however, the chamber begins to rumble. The ground suddenly gives way and everyone falls down into the depths of the caverns.


Ash and others continue through the caverns, with Ash calling out to Steven every so often. They reach a fork in the road, where Brock puts a glow-in-the-dark red arrow marker pointing to the left tunnel on the wall. As Ash once more calls out down the path, the scene switches to an underground chamber where a man with blue hair (who is Steven Stone himself) and his Aron are digging. Steven stops to take a break and asks Aron if it has found anything yet. When Aron informs him that it hasn't found anything by shaking its head, Steven offers it some [[Pokémon food]], which it happily eats from his hand. Steven then says they'll try a new spot. Meanwhile, Team Rocket sits behind some rocks observing their now-finished hole. Jessie hears Ash calling out to Steven and remarks "here they come without a clue". James still thinks a direct battle is the way to go, while Meowth asks who Steven is. Jessie hisses that it doesn't matter who he is and they hide. Ash and friends then arrive in the chamber, where they fall into the hole. The Rockets then reveal themselves and the kids look up to see them. As the villains dance happily over their catch, however, the chamber begins to rumble. The ground then suddenly gives way and everyone falls down into the depths of the caverns.
Down where Steven and Aron are working, the two hear all the commotion as the Rocket trio and Ash’s group all get separated from each other and mixed into random groups as they fall into different tunnels. Hearing this, Steven and Aron quickly go to check it out. Max pops out of some dirt first, and he finds himself with Pikachu and Meowth. Max realizes they have been separated and he tells Pikachu that they have to find the others. Meowth offers to help, but Max doesn't trust him. However, they decide to make a truce. Max and Pikachu begin to walk off, but Meowth refuses to follow Pikachu. Max tells him that they can leave him there. Pikachu and Max then walk away, but Meowth yells for them to return and rushes after them. Meanwhile, May pops out of another patch of dirt and complains on how dirty she is. Suddenly, Jessie falls down on top of her. They begin to argue when Jessie says she is going to try to get out. She stands up and tries to climb back up the hole, but it doesn't look too promising. In another part of the cave, Ash and James argue while standing shoulder-high in a pile of dirt. Brock soon interrupts them and says they should focus on finding an exit and they can fight later. They all begin to wriggle and squirm, but they can't break free of the silt. They take a breath then try again, but still no luck.  


Down where Steven and Aron are working, the two hear all the commotion as Ash, Pikachu, Brock, May, Max, Jessie, James, and Meowth all get separated from each other and mixed into random groups as they fall into different tunnels. Hearing this, Steven and Aron quickly go to check it out. Max pops out of some dirt and calls for everyone. Pikachu and Meowth also pop out. Max realizes they have been separated and he tells Pikachu that they have to find the others. Meowth offers to help, but Max doesn't trust him. However, they decide to make a truce. Max and Pikachu begin to walk off, but Meowth refuses to follow Pikachu. Max tells him that they can leave him there. Pikachu and Max then walk away, but Meowth yells for them to return and rushes after them. Meanwhile, May pops out of another patch of dirt and complains on how dirty she is. Suddenly, Jessie falls down on top of her. They begin to argue when Jessie says she is going to try to get out. She stands up and tries to climb back up the hole, but it doesn't look too promising. In another part of the cave, Ash and James argue while standing shoulder-high in a pile of dirt. Brock soon interrupts them and says they should try to get out of here and they can fight later. They all begin to wriggle and squirm, but they can't break free. They take a breath then try again, but still no luck.  
Max, Pikachu and Meowth all continue down the trail. Max is set on finding Steven, and he explains to Meowth that Steven is the son of president of the [[Devon Corporation]] who is supposedly training in Granite Cave. Pikachu suddenly smells something and Meowth motions that he also smells fresh air. He and Pikachu rush off as Max follows quickly behind them. Steven and his Aron walk through a crevasse hoping to find the source of the crash. Meanwhile, Ash, Brock, and James are on a different path. James soon begins to pout, saying it's useless and they'll be lost for the rest of their lives. He soon enters into a tirade, complaining that Jessie and Meowth always mistreat him. Suddenly, a small ball falls from the ceiling. It steps into the light to reveal itself to be an Aron. It begins growling and Ash scans it with the [[Pokédex]]. James is unafraid and promptly begins knuckling Aron’s head, which only angers the [[wild Pokémon]]. The Aron calls out causing many Aron to fall from the ceiling. Ash, Brock and James freak out and rush off at a rapid pace as the Aron lunge towards them. Steven discovers Team Rocket’s pitfall trap and a strewn net nearby. Fearing someone has been injured, Steven and his Aron leap into the underground abyss.


Max, Pikachu and Meowth all continue on down the trail. Max explains to Meowth how he heard that a strong Trainer from the Devon Corporation supposedly trains here. Pikachu suddenly smells something and Meowth motions that he also smells fresh air. He and Pikachu rush off as Max follows quickly behind them. The man and his Aron follow the path hoping to find the source of the crash. Ash, Brock, and James are on a different path. James soon begins to pout, saying it's useless and they'll be stuck here for the rest of their lives. He rushes ahead of them calling for Jessie and Meowth. Suddenly, a small ball falls from the ceiling. It opens up to reveal itself as an Aron. It steps into the light growling and Ash scans it with the Pokédex. James walks up to it apparently not very impressed. He begins to prod at it with his hand, which only angers it. The Aron calls out causing many Aron to fall from the ceiling. Ash, Brock and James freak out as the Aron lunges at them. Ash and the others rush off down the path screaming. The man makes it to the hole Team Rocket dug and looks down. He notices the nets Team Rocket had and says to Aron that someone must've fallen down. He tells it that they have to help them and they both leap down.
Ash and friends are still running for their lives. James notices two tunnels up ahead with another above them. He rushes towards them and begins to climb into the high one, but Ash and Brock push him down and climb up first. James turns around to see the fast-approaching Aron and rushes up screaming. The Aron horde continues on down one of the other paths. Max, Pikachu and Meowth make it to a lush waterfall with vines streaming down in the middle of the cave. Meowth indicates that the fresh air is streaming in from up above, and so the trio set their sights on climbing up. Meanwhile, Jessie and May are having no luck. Jessie is still trying to squirm up the hole, but May just sits there. She tells Jessie to hurry, but Jessie orders May to assist. May attempts to follow instructions, but Jessie is truly wedged in despite all of the pushing and shoving. In a crack the cave ceiling breaks open as a {{DL|Recurring wild Pokémon in the anime|Loudred}} crashes through the floor above. Loudred stamps its feet, trampling Jessie in the process as it rushes off down a pass. Jessie collapses into the level below, though May is none the wiser and remarks that at least the escape hole is bigger.


Ash and friends are still running for their lives. James notices two tunnels up ahead with another above them. He rushes towards them and begins to climb in the high one, but Ash and Brock push him down and climb up first. James turns around to see the pursuing Aron and rushes up screaming. The Aron horde continues on down one of the other paths. Max, Pikachu and Meowth make it to a lush waterfall with vines streaming down in the middle of the cave. They ponder at how it could grow here, and decide to climb the vines up. Meanwhile, Jessie and May are having no luck. Jessie is still trying to squirm up the hole but May just sits there. She tells Jessie to hurry but she begins to scream saying May should help. May gets up telling her all she had to do was ask, and she begins to shove Jessie up the hole. Jessie emerges on another floor of the cave but she becomes stuck in the hole. She screams for May to push harder but it is no use. Suddenly, a Loudred falls from the floor above and dances around Jessie's head. Jessie freaks out and the Pokémon stomps her head and runs off. Jessie collapses and falls back down the hole. May asks what happened when they suddenly hear a voice from above.
Max, Pikachu, and Meowth are scaling the winding vines. As Max begins to complain, Meowth stops to take a break admitting that all the whining reminds him of Jessie and James. Max queries Meowth on how he can {{pkmn2|talking|talk}}, but as Meowth recounts [[EP070|his tale]], Max and Pikachu ignore it and continue climbing. A pebble hits Meowth and he realizes they are leaving without him. Meowth shouts that he is feeling disrespected, but Max retorts that the story was too long and orders him to get going. As for Ash and the others trudge on, they feel a glimmer of hope when they suddenly come across one of Brock's red arrow stickers. However the trio's excitement is short-lived when they once again fall down the same pitfall from earlier. Steven and Aron arrive soon after to see that the hole has grown larger.  


The man and his Aron rush on hoping to find them. Meanwhile, Max, Pikachu and Meowth are climbing the vines. Meowth stops to take a break and begins to start a conversation with Max. Max wonders how Meowth can talk. Meowth begins to explain about how he learned to talk but Pikachu and Max ignore it and continue climbing. A pebble hits Meowth and he realizes they are leaving without him. He yells for them to hold on, and climbs as fast as he can. Ash and his friends press on when they suddenly come to the same red arrow as before. They all become excited and rush down the path, only to fall into the same hole as before and tumble back down. The man and his {{p|Aron}} come back to the hole and hear them fall. Max continues on when Pikachu smells something again and they head towards it. Jessie and May are now exhausted as they walk down the path. May suddenly notices light at the end of the tunnel and they both run towards it, only to find the light was coming from above the same hole from before. They fall in screaming while Ash, Brock and James are chased by the Aron horde again.
Later Max, Pikachu, and Meowth spot daylight pouring through a canyon opening. Pikachu then alerts them to a scent, and Max hopes that it is Steven. Jessie and May are now exhausted as they walk down the path. May suddenly notices light at the end of the tunnel. As the pair rush towards it, they fall into the earlier pitfall. As Ash, Brock and James are chased by the Aron horde again, Jessie and May land onto them and are forced to also run from the angry Aron. Pikachu's sense of smell leads directly to Steven, who quickly confirms his identity. Max explains that his friends are lost, and Steven replies that this must be why the Aron are particularly agitated. He warns that they must find everyone quickly and he leads Max, Meowth and Pikachu through Granite Cave at a cracking pace. He leads them to a crack in the cave floor, though Meowth doesn't understand. Steven suggests they try listening carefully, and soon enough Meowth and Max overhear footsteps coming closer. Max calls out for his sister and the others, and the fleeing humans look up to see Steven and Max standing on the floor above. Steven orders Ash and the others to meet him at the waterfall, the exchange is cut short as the Aron continue to approach. Steven has Max and the Pokémon grab onto him before he leaps over the opening. Ash and the others make it to the waterfall and turn to see the Aron horde approaching. Steven appears above them and tells them to just stay put. The Aron horde gets very close and everyone braces themselves for the worst. However Steven has his Aron use {{m|Roar}} to stop the horde in their tracks. Steven orders the Aron to return to their roosts, assuring them that the humans are all friendly. The Aron follow instructions and retreat into the Granite Cave depths.  


Jessie and May fall down on top of them and they all begin to run from the horde. Max and the Pokémon rush towards the screaming. They approach a dark part of the tunnel and the man and his Aron emerges. He asks them if they were the ones who fell down the hole. Max says that they were and adds that his other friends did too and Meowth explains that he too has friends missing. The man introduces himself as Steven Stone, son of [[Mr. Stone]]: the president of [[Devon Corporation]] and explains that the wild Aron in this cave are not very friendly, so they should find the others quickly. They rush down the tunnel and come to a hole with Max wondering how they will get across. Steven tells them to listen and they all look down to see Ash and friends running below them. Max calls to them and they all look up. Steven tells them to meet him at the waterfall and the group continues to run.
Meowth leaps into Jessie and James's waiting arms, happily reunited. To celebrate, the Rocket trio recites their {{motto}}, though Steven is left perplexed. Jessie calls out her {{TP|Jessie|Seviper}} and James sends out {{TP|James|Cacnea}}, but it gives him a prickly hug first. As Ash and his friends prepare to send their Pokémon out, Steven tells them to stop. He scolds them for disrupting the peace of the wild Pokémon, and declares that he’ll face Team Rocket. Steven calls on his {{p|Aggron}} and it blasts Team Rocket off with a single {{m|Hyper Beam}}. The powerful display leaves Ash in awe of Steven.


Pikachu, Meowth and Max then grab onto Steven and they leap across the hole. Ash and friends make it to the waterfall and turn to see the Aron horde approaching. Steven appears above them and tells them to just stay put. The Aron horde gets very close and they all begin to brace themselves for the worst, but suddenly, the horde is stopped dead in their tracks. {{Ash}} and co open their eyes to see them all leaving. Steven jumps down as Ash and friends stare confusedly. Team Rocket now takes this chance to steal Pikachu. They say their motto and Ash warns Steven that Team Rocket is no good, and he should watch out. Jessie releases [[Jessie's Seviper|Seviper]] and James calls out Cacnea, which gives him a nice hug. Steven tells them to stop. He tells them that he can't allow them to steal Pokémon, and releases his Aggron. Ash scans it with the [[Pokédex]]. Aggron uses Hyper Beam and Team Rocket is blasted off sky-high. Ash is in awe at the immense power of his {{p|Aggron}}.
Suddenly, Aron motions to Steven that it found something. Steven rushes over and pulls out a [[Fire Stone]] from the ground. Ash and friends are impressed by the find and Steven explains that he's been digging for days looking for one. May is curious about the stone's value and Steven explains that it can help [[Evolution|evolve]] certain Pokémon like {{p|Growlithe}} or {{p|Eevee}}. Afterwards, Steven leads the group to a secluded inlet just perfect for Ash's preparation for his [[rematch]] against Brawly. Steven and his Aron soon set off in their sail boat to continue hunting for other [[evolution stones]]. They thank Steven for his help as he wishes the group luck for the future. He then sets off as Ash and friends wave goodbye. They watch Steven sails into the sunset.
 
Suddenly, Aron motions to Steven that he found something. Steven rushes up to find a Fire Stone. Ash and friends are impressed and Steven explains that he's been digging for days looking for one. Steven agrees to lead them out of the cave; afterwards, he takes the gang to a deserted inlet on the island which will be ideal for Ash to train for his rematch and, after boarding a small boat with Aron, he tells Ash and friends that he must go. They thank him for his help as he wishes the group luck for the future. He then sets off as Ash and friends wave goodbye. Now, Ash is more determined than ever to train hard so he may one day match up to Steven and Aggron. They watch Steven go as the sun sets over the ocean.


==Major events==
==Major events==
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[[File:WTP AG022.png|thumb|200px|right|Who's That Pokémon?]]
[[File:WTP AG022.png|thumb|200px|right|Who's That Pokémon?]]
[[Who's That Pokémon?]]: {{p|Vigoroth}}
[[Who's That Pokémon?]]: {{p|Vigoroth}}
* {{p|Pikachu}} ({{OP|Ash|Pikachu}})
* {{p|Pikachu}} ({{OP|Ash|Pikachu}})
* {{p|Meowth}} ({{TRM}})
* {{p|Meowth}} ({{TRM}})
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==Trivia==
==Trivia==
* The English title for this episode is a pun of the phrase "a whole lot of trouble."
* The English title for this episode is a pun of the phrase "a whole lot of trouble."
* {{p|Vigoroth}} is the first [[Generation III]] Pokémon to be featured in the [[Who's That Pokémon?]] eyecatch.
* Vigoroth is the first [[Generation III]] Pokémon featured in the [[Who's That Pokémon?]] eyecatch.
* This is the first anime appearance of {{Steven}}. In this episode, he is not mentioned to be the {{pkmn|Champion}}, instead only said to be a strong Trainer.
* This is the first {{pkmn|anime}} appearance of {{Steven}}. In this episode, he is not mentioned to be the {{pkmn|Champion}}, instead being a strong Trainer.
* Steven did not appear again in the anime until ''[[SS031|Mega Evolution Special II]]'' was aired 11 years later.
** Steven did not appear again in the anime until ''[[XYS02|Mega Evolution Special II]]'', 11 years later.
* When [[Max]] asks {{MTR}} how he is able to {{pkmn2|talking|talk}}, the latter starts going through his backstory from ''[[EP070|Go West Young Meowth]]'', including flashing back to [[Meowzie|his former love interest]] from the same episode.
** Although the episode switched to digital animation in ''[[EP261|Here's Lookin' at You, Elekid]]'', the flashback of Meowth meeting Meowzie still used hand-coloured {{wp|Traditional animation|cel animation}}.
* In the {{pmin|France|French}} dub of this episode, Steven is referred to by his English name rather than his French name, Pierre, due to the fact that this name is shared with {{an|Brock}}.
** The dub would eventually go back to using his French name during his appearances in ''[[Pokémon the Series: XY]]'', due to Brock being absent from that series.


===Errors===
===Errors===
* Vigoroth's image for [[Who's That Pokémon?]] has its footprint included in the space between its left arm and its left leg.
* {{p|Vigoroth}}'s image for the Who's That Pokémon? eyecatch has its footprint included in the space between its left arm and its left leg.
* Aggron's nostrils are missing in one scene.
* {{p|Aggron}}'s nostrils are missing in one scene.
* The blurb for this episode spells Steven's name as ''Stephen''.
* The blurb for this episode spells Steven's name as "Stephen".


===Dub edits===
===Dub edits===
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nextcode=AG023 |
nextcode=AG023 |
nexttitle=Gone Corphishin' |
nexttitle=Gone Corphishin' |
series=Advanced Generation series |
series=Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire |
colorscheme=Hoenn}}
colorscheme=Hoenn}}
{{Project Anime notice}}
{{Project Anime notice}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:0296}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:0296}}
[[Category:Advanced Generation series episodes|022]]
[[Category:Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire episodes|022]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Masashi Sogo]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Masashi Sogo]]
[[Category:Episodes storyboarded and directed by Yūji Asada]]
[[Category:Episodes storyboarded and directed by Yūji Asada]]
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[[Category:Episodes directed by Yūji Asada]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Yūji Asada]]
[[Category:Episodes animated by Masaaki Iwane]]
[[Category:Episodes animated by Masaaki Iwane]]
[[Category:Episodes in which a Champion appears]]


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[[it:AG022]]
[[it:AG022]]
[[ja:AG編第22話]]
[[ja:AG編第22話]]
[[zh:精灵宝可梦 超世代 第22集]]
[[zh:宝可梦 超世代 第22集]]

Revision as of 19:26, 29 May 2020

AG021 : Which Wurmple's Which?
Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire
AG023 : Gone Corphishin'
A Hole Lotta Trouble
AG022.png
AG022   EP296
ダイゴ、ココドラ、ボスゴドラ!
Daigo, Cokodora, Bossgodora!
First broadcast
Japan April 24, 2003
United States February 14, 2004
English themes
Opening I Wanna Be a Hero
Ending
Japanese themes
Opening アドバンス・アドベンチャー
Ending ポルカ・オ・ドルカ
Credits
Animation Team Ota
Screenplay 十川誠志 Masashi Sogo
Storyboard 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada
Assistant director 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada
Animation director 岩根雅明 Masaaki Iwane
Additional credits

A Hole Lotta Trouble (Japanese: ダイゴ、ココドラ、ボスゴドラ! Daigo, Cokodora, Bossgodora!) is the 22nd episode of Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire, and the 296th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on April 24, 2003 and in the United States on February 14, 2004.

201
Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
201

Blurb

After all the Wurmple confusion, Ash and the gang finally arrive at Granite Cave. Team Rocket is already in the cave, perfecting their next attempt to capture Pikachu. Unknown to our heroes, Stephen and his Aron are busy digging in the cave. Ash, May, Max, and Brock begin exploring the dark cave, only to fall into a hole created by Team Rocket. Before Jessie and James can brag about their success, the floor caves in and everyone falls into the hole. To make matters worse, though, everyone falls into different tunnels and they all get separated from one another. Pikachu, Meowth, and Max end up together; Jessie falls on top of May; and Ash, James, and Brock get stuck together.

As the various groups start wandering through the cave, James, Ash and Brock disturb a rather large group of irritable Aron. Meanwhile, Max, Meowth, and Pikachu have discovered an underground waterfall and pool with dangling vines they hope may lead to an escape from the cave. Everyone ends up meeting in the underground pool with the angered Aron on their tails. Stephen, already investigating the commotion, comes to the rescue and subdues all the Aron with his own Aron. Team Rocket then makes their usual attempt at stealing Pikachu, only to be sent blasting off again by Stephen and his Aggron. Stephen's Aron then finds the Fire Stone he had been looking for and everyone leaves the cave happy and ready for their next adventure.

Plot

Standing in front of a large cave, Max announces that they have finally arrived at Granite Cave. Everyone anticipates meeting Steven, and Ash hopes to gain some training insights. May asks Max to check the PokéNav for any creepy Pokémon living inside the cave, but Max informs her that the device doesn’t have that function. Ash suggests they get moving, and so the group all enter Granite Cave. Meanwhile, Team Rocket are digging large holes throughout Granite Cave hoping to finally catch Pikachu. James begins to complain from the exhaustive effort and suggests they try a direct battle for once, but Jessie declares that she is in charge and orders him to keep digging. Meowth makes a sharp remark, but Jessie turns to him and snaps.

Ash and others continue through the caverns, with Ash calling out to Steven every so often. They reach a fork in the road, where Brock puts a glow-in-the-dark red arrow marker pointing to the left tunnel on the wall. Meanwhile Steven and his Aron stop to take a break from their stone hunt. When Aron informs him that it hasn't found anything by shaking its head, Steven offers it some Pokémon food, which it happily eats from his hand. Steven then says they'll try a new spot. Meanwhile, Team Rocket sits behind some rocks observing their now-finished hole. Jessie hears Ash calling out to Steven and anticipates the twerps’ arrival. James still thinks a direct battle is the way to go, while Meowth asks who Steven is. Jessie hisses that it doesn't matter who he is and they hide. Ash and friends soon reach the chamber, where they fall into the waiting pitfall trap. The Rockets reveal themselves and the kids look up to see them. As the villains dance happily over their catch, however, the chamber begins to rumble. The ground suddenly gives way and everyone falls down into the depths of the caverns.

Down where Steven and Aron are working, the two hear all the commotion as the Rocket trio and Ash’s group all get separated from each other and mixed into random groups as they fall into different tunnels. Hearing this, Steven and Aron quickly go to check it out. Max pops out of some dirt first, and he finds himself with Pikachu and Meowth. Max realizes they have been separated and he tells Pikachu that they have to find the others. Meowth offers to help, but Max doesn't trust him. However, they decide to make a truce. Max and Pikachu begin to walk off, but Meowth refuses to follow Pikachu. Max tells him that they can leave him there. Pikachu and Max then walk away, but Meowth yells for them to return and rushes after them. Meanwhile, May pops out of another patch of dirt and complains on how dirty she is. Suddenly, Jessie falls down on top of her. They begin to argue when Jessie says she is going to try to get out. She stands up and tries to climb back up the hole, but it doesn't look too promising. In another part of the cave, Ash and James argue while standing shoulder-high in a pile of dirt. Brock soon interrupts them and says they should focus on finding an exit and they can fight later. They all begin to wriggle and squirm, but they can't break free of the silt. They take a breath then try again, but still no luck.

Max, Pikachu and Meowth all continue down the trail. Max is set on finding Steven, and he explains to Meowth that Steven is the son of president of the Devon Corporation who is supposedly training in Granite Cave. Pikachu suddenly smells something and Meowth motions that he also smells fresh air. He and Pikachu rush off as Max follows quickly behind them. Steven and his Aron walk through a crevasse hoping to find the source of the crash. Meanwhile, Ash, Brock, and James are on a different path. James soon begins to pout, saying it's useless and they'll be lost for the rest of their lives. He soon enters into a tirade, complaining that Jessie and Meowth always mistreat him. Suddenly, a small ball falls from the ceiling. It steps into the light to reveal itself to be an Aron. It begins growling and Ash scans it with the Pokédex. James is unafraid and promptly begins knuckling Aron’s head, which only angers the wild Pokémon. The Aron calls out causing many Aron to fall from the ceiling. Ash, Brock and James freak out and rush off at a rapid pace as the Aron lunge towards them. Steven discovers Team Rocket’s pitfall trap and a strewn net nearby. Fearing someone has been injured, Steven and his Aron leap into the underground abyss.

Ash and friends are still running for their lives. James notices two tunnels up ahead with another above them. He rushes towards them and begins to climb into the high one, but Ash and Brock push him down and climb up first. James turns around to see the fast-approaching Aron and rushes up screaming. The Aron horde continues on down one of the other paths. Max, Pikachu and Meowth make it to a lush waterfall with vines streaming down in the middle of the cave. Meowth indicates that the fresh air is streaming in from up above, and so the trio set their sights on climbing up. Meanwhile, Jessie and May are having no luck. Jessie is still trying to squirm up the hole, but May just sits there. She tells Jessie to hurry, but Jessie orders May to assist. May attempts to follow instructions, but Jessie is truly wedged in despite all of the pushing and shoving. In a crack the cave ceiling breaks open as a Loudred crashes through the floor above. Loudred stamps its feet, trampling Jessie in the process as it rushes off down a pass. Jessie collapses into the level below, though May is none the wiser and remarks that at least the escape hole is bigger.

Max, Pikachu, and Meowth are scaling the winding vines. As Max begins to complain, Meowth stops to take a break admitting that all the whining reminds him of Jessie and James. Max queries Meowth on how he can talk, but as Meowth recounts his tale, Max and Pikachu ignore it and continue climbing. A pebble hits Meowth and he realizes they are leaving without him. Meowth shouts that he is feeling disrespected, but Max retorts that the story was too long and orders him to get going. As for Ash and the others trudge on, they feel a glimmer of hope when they suddenly come across one of Brock's red arrow stickers. However the trio's excitement is short-lived when they once again fall down the same pitfall from earlier. Steven and Aron arrive soon after to see that the hole has grown larger.

Later Max, Pikachu, and Meowth spot daylight pouring through a canyon opening. Pikachu then alerts them to a scent, and Max hopes that it is Steven. Jessie and May are now exhausted as they walk down the path. May suddenly notices light at the end of the tunnel. As the pair rush towards it, they fall into the earlier pitfall. As Ash, Brock and James are chased by the Aron horde again, Jessie and May land onto them and are forced to also run from the angry Aron. Pikachu's sense of smell leads directly to Steven, who quickly confirms his identity. Max explains that his friends are lost, and Steven replies that this must be why the Aron are particularly agitated. He warns that they must find everyone quickly and he leads Max, Meowth and Pikachu through Granite Cave at a cracking pace. He leads them to a crack in the cave floor, though Meowth doesn't understand. Steven suggests they try listening carefully, and soon enough Meowth and Max overhear footsteps coming closer. Max calls out for his sister and the others, and the fleeing humans look up to see Steven and Max standing on the floor above. Steven orders Ash and the others to meet him at the waterfall, the exchange is cut short as the Aron continue to approach. Steven has Max and the Pokémon grab onto him before he leaps over the opening. Ash and the others make it to the waterfall and turn to see the Aron horde approaching. Steven appears above them and tells them to just stay put. The Aron horde gets very close and everyone braces themselves for the worst. However Steven has his Aron use Roar to stop the horde in their tracks. Steven orders the Aron to return to their roosts, assuring them that the humans are all friendly. The Aron follow instructions and retreat into the Granite Cave depths.

Meowth leaps into Jessie and James's waiting arms, happily reunited. To celebrate, the Rocket trio recites their motto, though Steven is left perplexed. Jessie calls out her Seviper and James sends out Cacnea, but it gives him a prickly hug first. As Ash and his friends prepare to send their Pokémon out, Steven tells them to stop. He scolds them for disrupting the peace of the wild Pokémon, and declares that he’ll face Team Rocket. Steven calls on his Aggron and it blasts Team Rocket off with a single Hyper Beam. The powerful display leaves Ash in awe of Steven.

Suddenly, Aron motions to Steven that it found something. Steven rushes over and pulls out a Fire Stone from the ground. Ash and friends are impressed by the find and Steven explains that he's been digging for days looking for one. May is curious about the stone's value and Steven explains that it can help evolve certain Pokémon like Growlithe or Eevee. Afterwards, Steven leads the group to a secluded inlet just perfect for Ash's preparation for his rematch against Brawly. Steven and his Aron soon set off in their sail boat to continue hunting for other evolution stones. They thank Steven for his help as he wishes the group luck for the future. He then sets off as Ash and friends wave goodbye. They watch Steven sails into the sunset.

Major events

For a list of all major events in the anime, please see the history page.

Debuts

Humans

Pokémon debuts

Characters

Humans

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Vigoroth

Trivia

  • The English title for this episode is a pun of the phrase "a whole lot of trouble."
  • Vigoroth is the first Generation III Pokémon featured in the Who's That Pokémon? eyecatch.
  • This is the first anime appearance of Steven. In this episode, he is not mentioned to be the Champion, instead being a strong Trainer.
  • When Max asks Meowth how he is able to talk, the latter starts going through his backstory from Go West Young Meowth, including flashing back to his former love interest from the same episode.
  • In the French dub of this episode, Steven is referred to by his English name rather than his French name, Pierre, due to the fact that this name is shared with Brock.
    • The dub would eventually go back to using his French name during his appearances in Pokémon the Series: XY, due to Brock being absent from that series.

Errors

  • Vigoroth's image for the Who's That Pokémon? eyecatch has its footprint included in the space between its left arm and its left leg.
  • Aggron's nostrils are missing in one scene.
  • The blurb for this episode spells Steven's name as "Stephen".

Dub edits

In other languages



AG021 : Which Wurmple's Which?
Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire
AG023 : Gone Corphishin'
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